Adventure of a lifetime

by Quinton Sheppard - Posted on Jun 13, 2012 - 02:48 PM

Gloucester resident Will Houtz, above, will travel more than 10,000 miles across some of the most treacherous and dangerous terrain on the Asian continent in this 1993 Toyota pickup truck as part of the Mongol Rally. He will be joined by his former college roommate, Thomas Schultz. Photo by Quinton Sheppard

A Gloucester man is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, driving a 1993 Toyota pickup truck more than 10,000 miles, from Southern England to Mongolia.

The adventure is not considered a race, but is best described as the ultimate charity road trip, according to Gloucester resident Will Houtz, who, along with his college roommate, Thomas Schultz, will leave on the cross-continental journey next month.

Houtz said he quickly recruited Schultz, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering. "He’s worth his weight in gold," Houtz said.

Houtz and Schultz have formed the team, "Quarter Life Crisis," and will be traversing some of the roughest roads on the planet, traveling through England, France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and then on to Mongolia. The two will be crossing five mountain ranges and three deserts.

The team will be using the Pamir Highway, which runs through the western branch of the Himalayas and also through some of the most politically unstable countries of Asia.

Houtz, a 2010 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, said that before commencement ceremonies he was pondering what he was going to do after he graduated. Then he came across the Mongol Rally, an international charity road rally, and latched onto the idea.